For patients

Related pages

One in ten patients fails to attend their appointment.This causes delays not only in treating you, but in treating other patients too.

If you fail to attend your appointment you may be discharged from the Outpatient Clinic. This means that for you to return to clinic a new referral letter will be required.

Changing contact details

If your contact details change – address or phone number – please contact the specific clinic that you are to attend from the list on theOutpatient Clinic page. This will make sure you receive important information about your appointment.

Obtaining an outpatient appointment

Appointments for Outpatient Clinics are by referral from your GP, specialist, other health professional or as requested prior to discharge from hospital. In the referral letter, information will have been provided about the reason for your referral. Note: Self-referral is possible for some clinics.

A health professional reviews the referral and prioritises your appointment based on this information. You might receive an appointment date straight away or be placed on a waiting list to receive an appointment at a later date.

If your appointment is delayed, you may wish to speak to the person who referred you to discuss other treatment options. If your condition changes or you have any health problems while waiting for your appointment, please see your GP or the person that referred you.

Notification about your appointment

A letter will be sent to you either offering an appointment or advising that your name has been placed on a wait list. You may receive other letters relating to your appointment if necessary. For some Outpatient Clinics an SMS reminder will be sent if you have provided a mobile number.

Changing appointments

It is important to keep your appointment as any investigation or treatment you require needs to be monitored by a health professional.

If you need to change or cancel an appointment, please contact the Outpatient Clinic you will be attending to organise another appointment. It is important to remember to call the Outpatient Clinic to cancel or change any appointments you cannot attend, as this will allow another patient to have that appointment. This also helps to reduce waiting lists for clinics.

One in ten patients fails to attend their appointment.This causes delays not only in treating you, but in treating other patients too.

If you fail to attend your appointment you may be discharged from the Outpatient Clinic. This means that should you or your health professional request another appointment, a new referral letter is required.

Parking

Royal Hobart Hospital, Wellington Outpatient Clinicsand Telstra

Short-term pick-up and drop-off

Short term 10 minute parking for people with disabilities is available at the Argyle and Campbell Street Royal Hobart Hospital entrances.

Hobart City Council parking officers patrol parking spaces and parking tickets will be issued for unauthorised parking. THS accepts no responsibility for payment of fines nor is THS able to waive fines.

Managed by the Hobart City Council, metered parking spaces are available in Campbell, Liverpool, Argyle and Collins Streets.

Repatriation Centre

On-site parking

There is limited on-site parking available for clients at the Repatriation Centre.

An on-site parking permit may be included with your appointment letter. If you did not receive a permit, please ask the clinic receptionist.

Street parking

The streets surrounding Repatriation Centre have up to three hour metered parking. The Hobart City Council parking officers patrol parking spaces regularly. THS accepts no responsibility for payment of fines nor is THS able to waive fines.

Launceston General Hospital

Fees apply to all LGH site parking at all times.

Fees: $1.50 per hour. Maximum $6 per day.

Ticket to be displayed on windscreen.

Care Park parking officers patrol parking spaces and parking tickets will be issued for unauthorised parking. THS accepts no responsibility for payment of fines nor is THS able to waive fines.

Mersey Community Hospital

There are a number of car parking options available, both within the hospital grounds and car parks adjacent to the hospital.

All car parks are accessible via Torquay Road.

North West Regional Hospital

Fees apply to all NWRH site parking.

CarePark Australia parking officers patrol parking spaces and parking tickets will be issued for unauthorised parking. THS accepts no responsibility for payment of fines nor is THS able to waive fines.

What to bring on the day of the appointment

the appointment letter you received in the mail from the Outpatient Clinic

any relevant x-rays, scans (CT or ultrasound), blood tests or other test results

a list of current medications

reading glasses if you need them

your Medicare card, private health insurance card, pension card (if you have one) and any other concession card you may hold

any questions you may have for the health professionals – you may want to write these down prior to your appointment.

Please arrive approximately 10 minutes prior to your appointment to allow enough time to check in with reception staff. After you have checked in, you will then be directed to the waiting area for your Outpatient Clinic.

Length of appointment

We recommend that you allow up to two hours for your appointment.

Although your appointment has been scheduled at a specific time, delays can occur. These delays can be due to longer than expected appointments with other patients, particularly if a complicated treatment and/or diagnosis is being discussed.

Occasionally health professionals are urgently required elsewhere which may also cause appointment delays.

Health professional students in Outpatient Clinics

Tasmanian Health Services Outpatient Clinics are teaching facilities and health professionals in training may be present. Please inform staff if you would prefer not to have students present during your appointment.

Questions during my appointment

It is important to provide the health professional with as much information as possible, whether you think it is relevant or not, so that the best treatment for you can be determined.

You may ask the health professional questions at any time. If you don't understand anything, please ask for it to be explained again.

Medical certificates

If you need a medical certificate you should ask the health professional during your appointment for one.

Cost of outpatient clinics

Generally, for Australian residents there are no out-of-pocket expenses for Outpatient Clinic appointments and hospital diagnostic tests i.e. pathology, x-ray received through the Tasmanian public health system. These services are covered by Medicare.

Note: Fees may apply if you are an overseas resident or pursuing a compensation claim.

Pharmacy, medical supplies or equipment may incur fees, but are generally on a sliding scale according to an individual's concession status. If fees apply, you will be advised by that service.

Further information

Please refer to the Outpatient Clinic that you are going to attend or follow the links below for any further information

The Rights of Patients Accessing Outpatient Services

If you are eligible to be a patient in a THS facility you can expect to have the following rights to be upheld in every dealing with an Outpatient Service:

The right to choose to receive public facility services free of charge as a public patient.

The right to be treated according to your clinical needs, and receive timely specialist advice in accordance with the THS Standard: Maximum Waiting Times for Outpatient Services.

The right to have equitable access to public facility services regardless of where you may live in Tasmania.

The right to be treated with respect, dignity and consideration for your privacy, religion and cultural background.

The right to be provided with an individual appointment time.

The right to be informed and to:

have your health condition explained to you in easy-to-understand terms;

know and understand the choices and treatment options available to you;

know what treatment course is being recommended and how this will affect you;

be able to seek another opinion, where possible.

The right to be provided with appropriate and easily understood information about your health care and to participate in any decision making regarding your health care.

The right to expect that personal information remains confidential.

The right to be able to seek access to your own health record using the appropriate procedures outlined in the resource: Your rights and responsibilities: making the most of a visit to your health service. You may ask facility staff for a copy of this booklet.

The right to expect that your own doctor will be kept informed of your treatment.

The right to be able to comment on your experience in a THS Outpatient Service.

If you or your family have difficulty communicating in English, or you use sign language, an interpreter service will be arranged. This will help you understand information about your healthcare and assist you to make informed decisions about your treatment options.

The Responsibilities of Patients Accessing Outpatient Services

In order to ensure that your visit to a THS Outpatient Service runs smoothly there are a number of things that patients must do:

Provide us with complete and accurate details of:

your current address and contact phone numbers;

your Medicare number / Health Concession card;

your need for an interpreter, or any special needs required to assist you to access the service; or

your specific cultural or religious beliefs which may have implications for your health care.

Inform as soon as possible if:

you are on a waiting list with another health services for the same health problem;

you change your address or contact phone numbers;

you change your GP – provide us with their contact details; or

you no longer require an appointment.

Keep any appointments that have been made for you or let us know if you are unable to attend for any reason. Remember that this appointment time could be used for another person needing treatment.

Treat all health care staff and other patients with respect, dignity and consideration for their religious and cultural beliefs.

Respect the privacy of other patients.

Arrive punctually for your booked outpatient service appointment.

Actively participate in your own health care to ensure that your treatment is both appropriate and acceptable. If you do not understand anything about your illness or treatment, ask questions. If you still do not understand it is important to let the staff know so that further help can be arranged.

Do not consent to any treatment that you do not understand – ask questions.

Should you wish to seek access to your health records, follow the correct processes outlined in the booklet Your rights and responsibilities: making the most of a visit to your health service.